


Hashtag: Alexa & Katie

by sailorscooby



Category: Alexa & Katie (TV)
Genre: Childhood Friends to Lovers, College, F/F, Fluff, Gay Awakening, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:22:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24825253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sailorscooby/pseuds/sailorscooby
Summary: A seven hour drive will put her in the city just in time to greet her best friend with coffee and a donut to start the day. Alexa can catnap in Katie's dorm while she attends classes, and then they can spend the next few days together getting Katie packed to come home. It's a flawless plan.No more subtle, easily missable changes. Alexa Mendoza would take matters into her own hands.
Relationships: Katie Cooper/Alexa Mendoza
Comments: 13
Kudos: 79





	Hashtag: Alexa & Katie

The changes are subtle, at first.

It's not like when they were freshmen, navigating Alexa's sickness and the pressures of high school life. The distance is partly to blame. That's what Alexa tells herself, staring at the FaceTime screen while Katie takes her on a virtual walk from her new favorite bodega in New York back to her dorm at NYU. The lean and not-so-gangly-anymore blonde fumbles apologies as she bumps through the crowds, and Alexa thinks that if she were there with her, maybe she could drive them around.

"Ha! No one really drives here, not if you want to get anywhere on time. Besides, I wouldn't wish these drivers on anyone, but especially not you."

Alexa didn't realize she had said it out loud, but laughs as Katie finally pushed through the thick of the after-work crowd. The new nervous reflex of tapping the airpods--a gift from the Mendoza's for graduation, knowing the two girls would need the privacy of headphones for their calls--was one of the subtle changes. Alexa used to know Katie's anxiety cues, could see it in her best friend's posture or the way her feet would point away as if she would breakaway in a sprint at any moment. 

  
But she couldn't see those things through a cellphone screen.

\-----------------------------

Sometimes, Katie couldn't make their calls. They'd always make up for it the next day, maybe two days later if she was really swamped, but Alexa did her best to push the rat's nest of emotions out of her chest every time it happened. 

Sure, UNC was fun. Her roommate was great, classes were perfectly fine. The recreational basketball team she joined--not just to keep her busy as Katie got busier and busier, really--was a fun time. 

But as winter turned to spring, Katie had to reschedule more calls than she answered. Between the part time job, the classes, and all the other extracurriculars that Alexa could only imagine her friend was neck deep in, it made sense.

Could only imagine. Because she didn't really know anymore.

She shook the thought off, chased away the childish jealousy and fear, giving her best friend the space that was only fair.

It didn't stop the feeling sitting in her chest from growing and prodding, uncomfortable in her rib cage. 

\-----------------------------

The plan comes to her on the drive home for summer break, and the knowledge that Katie still had a few extra weeks to wrap up the last of her courses. It takes a lot of convincing of both the Mendozas and Jennifer, but Alexa knows it was worth the fight as she drives up I-95, the playlist Katie made bumping through the speakers and her headlights bright on the dark midnight pavement. 

A seven hour drive will put her in the city just in time to greet her best friend with coffee and a donut to start the day. Alexa can catnap in Katie's dorm while she attends classes, and then they can spend the next few days together getting Katie packed to come home. It's a flawless plan. 

No more subtle, easily missable changes. Alexa Mendoza would take matters into her own hands.

\-----------------------------

She only catches the beginning of the morning rush hour, fingers clenched tight on the wheel and jaw clenched hard, but this is the home stretch. The parking garage Dave found for her was close, and then Alexa could make her way straight to the dorm for the best start to the summer yet.

The coffee is hot in her hands, the doughnuts greasy and covered in the pink-sprinkles she knows Katie loves so much. It's easy enough to sleuth her way into the dorm, with all the students and their families starting to move out for the year. Alexa takes the stairs two at a time, reaching the fourth floor and only pausing to catch her breath just outside the door.

"Goooood morning-!"

She invites herself in, door swinging open, sun shining through in that pale yellow way it does in all the movies, and Alexa realizes two things very quickly.

Katie's pajamas are on the floor, near Alexa's feet.

And Katie is not alone in that small dorm bed.

It unfolds in what feels like stop-motion, Katie jolting upright, eyes finding Alexa's in the doorway--shocked and surprised--and then the embarrassment kicks in, the blanket being pulled to cover her chest quickly.

The person in the bed--the  _ woman _ in the bed--groans, slowly sitting up, completely unperturbed by the intrusion. Alexa feels trapped in place, watching the stranger lean over, placing a  _ kiss _ at Katie's temple, before shrugging her way out of the bed and into some clothes.

"Text you later?" 

The stranger says it with a cool, calm smile, and Alexa can only flatten herself to the wall, gaze so intently on Katie as the blonde nods sheepishly, eyes bulged just a little bit, like that anxious energy will urge the stranger to leave faster.

When the door closes, it's just the two of them. Alexa and Katie. 

Standing in the dorm, Alexa has never felt further away from her than right now. She turns in place, pressing her face into the wall while holding out the arm with the bag of donuts.

"I brought, uh, who was-- What?!"

There's a stream of words coming from Katie's lips, apologies and deflections and anxieties. Alexa closes her eyes, focus split between listening to the heartbeat thrumming in her ears, and Katie's shuffling clothes.

"You're here! Ahaha, uh, happy Friday?" 

Katie's turning her by the shoulders, the bright pink flush not yet gone from her cheeks, her ears, her nose. Alexa can't quite manage to meet her eyes.

"Are we just gonna pretend that didn't happen? Who--who was that?!"

Alexa  _ gently _ shoves the coffee into Katie's hands, pushing her way through to sit on the stripped-clean bed opposite Katie's. Her roommate must have moved out already. 

And Alexa wasn't going to sit-- _ there _ .

Katie paced, hands shaking a bit around the coffee, before she sat down next to Alexa, bed dipping.

"Tiffany is--she's a third year from the program and," she took another swing of the coffee, "And none of that matters because you're here!"

Alexa stared, deadpan at her best friend's face. Katie squirmed under the look.

"I'm here, woo."

She paused, unsure of how to continue from there. Alexa's heart was still hammering in her chest, the emotions speeding by her like she had done to the mile markers on the interstate only hours ago to get here.

"I was going to tell you I just, I didn't know how to, and I'll be coming home soon anyways and-"

Alexa cut her off, force feeding a donut to the blonde to stop her stream-of-consciousness ramble.

"Coffee and breakfast first."

Katie nodded, Alexa tearing her eyes away at last, inspecting the space her best friend had inhabited all year long that she'd only seen small snippets of through a screen.

Pictures of their friends, from prom, and in the center of it all, one of Alexa and Katie looking at each other and laughing. She couldn't remember what they had been talking about, or when it even was. But it made Alexa's chest tighten just that much more.

She took a deep breath, counted down from five, and turned on her heels.

"So my best friend dates girls now. Cool. Now tell me everything you've been hiding from our phone calls!"

The smile wasn't  _ forced _ , not really, but in the back of her mind, Alexa couldn't quite place why her palms felt so sweaty, why her heart beat pounded like this.

Katie instantly relaxed, like a thousand pounds of rope was finally coming undone from around her, and she smiled. 

_ Really smiled _ .

It was going to be a long drive back to Virginia.

\-----------------------------

The summer at home was spent like normal.

No, that wasn't true. Alexa couldn't lie to herself like that.

They  _ tried _ to spend the summer like normal. Maybe it was still normal for Katie?

But Alexa found herself looking, watching, eyes following Katie and lingering on the blonde in the moments between. Katie, who had been her rock her entire life, had always been there.

Katie, who hadn't felt the need to tell Alexa about  _ Tiffany _ , or any of the romance and adventure and "firsts" the big apple had brought her.

No, that wasn't fair, either.

On the drive home, on quiet nights tucked together in their tree, during afternoons at Wired and everywhere in between, Katie told her. Like the only thing that had been stopping before her was, truely, the distance.

And it's only as their summer comes to an end again, as they're both in the grass between the houses, repacked and driving off in different directions, does it hit Alexa.

\-----------------------------

Spencer takes it as well as could be expected. He and Alexa will always share that connection, he'll always be someone she loves.

But things have changed, now. In a way she can't explain. Not yet.

\-----------------------------

Thanksgiving takes it's sweet, sweet time this year. Alexa swears it's because the universe knows she has a plan.

Her FaceTime sessions with Katie aren't as structured this year, but they're not straight-up skipped anymore. When Katie shows up on the screen one day, half of her head shaved close, Alexa can't help but smile.

"It always was a good look on you."

She tries not to let her heart get too excited when Katie blushes. Or at least, Alexa thinks she blushes. It's hard to tell, with the lighting and the distance. 

Thanksgiving can't come soon enough.

\-----------------------------

The comfort of being home is offset by her nerves. Every hour that brings her closer to Katie coming home is another hour Alexa has to worry that maybe, just maybe, her plan  _ isn't _ a good idea.

Historically her plans haven't exactly worked out.

But she doesn't let that fear stop her. She's had enough of that in her lifetime, thank you very much. And if there's one thing everything that life has thrown at her has taught her, it's that Alexa Mendoza doesn't back down in the face of fear. She stands up.

She sneaks what she needs out into the tree, and it almost reminds her of stealing all the kitchenware for the mini-play they put on in senior year. Third place of three.

Headlights and honking, Potato barking up a storm and Jack excitedly hollering all catch her attention at once.

Katie's home.

The warmth that rushes through her isn't foreign, she realizes with a sudden clarity.

It's the same warmth that's always been there.

She almost rolls her eyes at herself. How obvious.

Katie's footfalls up the stairs seemed to spike her pulse up with each step. Alexa ghosted her hands over her hair, standing and pacing for just a moment, the fear and uncertainty creeping up.

When the window bursts open, the wave of relief--of love, she's willing to call it now--that washes over her is indescribable.

Katie's smile is bright, the half-shaved buzz and flopped over undercut looking just tousled enough from the car ride--Alexa wants to reach out and touch, but keeps her hands at her sides.

"Hey, what's all this?"

Katie's voice is so joyful, so light, and Alexa can't keep the smile from her own lips.

"I realized something. A sophomore year revelation."

Katie only raised an eyebrow in question, and Alexa could see her eyes darting between the lit candles, the blankets and pillows, the basket she had spent time preparing  _ just so _ .

"I don't really want to hear about Tiffany, or any of those exploits and adventures you're having in New York."

Katie's face scrunched up, cute and confused.

"Well, Tiffany and I haven't seen each other since the new school year started and-"

"Katie."

Alexa stepped closer, one hand wrapping around one of Katie's wrists, the other coming up to finally touch the buzz of hair. Katie froze, and Alexa could hear the startled intake of breath the blonde took.

"I don't want to hear about it, because..."

She felt Katie move a hand to her waist, her heartbeat kicking up. But there was no going back now.

"I want it to be me. I don't want to hear about any dates because I want to be the one you're on them with. Katie, I-"

The crush of soft pink lips, of heavy, hot breath against her skin, of that grip tightening and pulling Alexa that much closer--it was everything she didn't know she needed.

Alexa didn't want to pull back, but when she did, the joy blossoming in her chest made her feel ready to burst. Katie's smile, her eyes, the small nervous laugh that bubbled out between them; it was all so perfect.

"I want that too."

  
  
  


" _ Finally! _ "

Jack's puberty-cracked voice startled them, and Alexa tightened her grip on Katie when the taller girl nearly jumped away. 

"Aw man, now I owe mom twenty bucks!"

Lucas' voice called from the Mendoza window, while Jack's mouth ran a mile a minute.

Alexa laughed, ducking her head into Katie's chest, embracing the jolt of warmth she felt when the blonde rest her chin at the crown of her head.

"I've... it's always been you, Alexa."

Pulling back just enough to look up, locking her gaze on Katie's, Alexa grinned.

"Hashtag... Alexa and Katie."

**Author's Note:**

> Watched all four seasons in a week. It's been a long time since any series has gripped me by the shoulders with such intensity and demanded of me, "FIC, NOW!"  
> Thanks for reading.


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